This post contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Gerzsi earns from qualifying purchases. Read our disclosure. Tamás is a real head chef with 25 years in professional kitchens; Gerzsi is his beaver apprentice. The carving order follows America’s Test Kitchen’s method; the tool picks are their testers’.
From the kitchen: Gerzsi’s uncle carves at the table, standing, with a fork in one paw, sawing slices off the side of the bird while everyone watches. It takes twenty minutes and the slices fall apart. Chef Tamás carves in the kitchen in five. Nobody watches, and nobody needs to.
The short answer
Rest it, then take it apart before you slice it. Legs off, wings off, then each breast comes off the bone in one piece. Lay the breast flat and slice it crosswise. Short, even slices with skin on every one.
The knife: a long, narrow slicer does it in long strokes instead of sawing. America’s Test Kitchen’s winner is the Victorinox Fibrox Pro 12″ Granton ($50–100).
Before you start: rest the bird
The USDA says at least 20 minutes. America’s Test Kitchen rests theirs at least 30 minutes, and closer to an hour for a big bird, so the juices stay in the meat and the skin is cool enough to hold. That rest is also your free oven time for the sides (see the Thanksgiving timeline).
How to carve a turkey, step by step
- Cut the twine with kitchen shears and move the bird, breast up, to the board.
- Legs off. Cut through the skin between the leg and the breast, pull the leg out until the hip joint shows, and cut through the joint. Don’t forget the “oyster,” the small round piece of meat on the back. That one belongs to the cook.
- Wings off. Cut through the joint where each wing meets the body.
- Breasts off, whole. Run the knife down one side of the breastbone in long, smooth strokes, keeping the blade against the bone, and lift the whole breast away. Repeat on the other side.
- Split the legs and wings. Drumstick from thigh at the joint; wing tip, flat and drumette at their joints.
- Slice the breast crosswise, about ¼ inch thick, so every slice has a strip of skin.
- Plate it. White meat on one side, dark meat and wings on the other. ATK warms the platter in a 200°F oven so the slices stay hot.
Why the whole breast? Slicing off the side of the bird cuts along the muscle, so the slices shred. A whole breast laid flat gets sliced across the grain, which is how every hotel carving station does it. Shorter fibers, more tender slices, and every slice looks the same.
🦫 gerzsi.com hack: a wet towel under the board. A cutting board that slides is the most dangerous thing on Thanksgiving, more than the knife. Lay a damp kitchen towel (or a damp paper towel) flat under the board and it stays put. And don’t throw out the carcass: it’s tomorrow’s turkey stock.
The carving tools the testers picked
| Carving knife | Price range | Tester verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Victorinox Fibrox Pro 12″ Granton · Check on Amazon | $50–100 | ATK winner: 12″ blade, granton grooves, NSF-certified handle |
| Mercer Renaissance 11″ Granton · Check on Amazon | See today’s price | ATK recommended: “flexible, but not too much” |
The board: the OXO Good Grips Carving and Cutting Board is ATK’s Best Buy large plastic board, just over 3 lb with a juice groove (under $25). ATK found it bounced a little under hard chopping, which doesn’t matter for carving. More boards in our cutting board guide.
For moving the bird: sturdy tongs. Tamás uses tongs every shift; ATK’s winner is the OXO Good Grips 12-Inch Tongs (under $25).
Carving FAQ
Can I use my chef’s knife?
Yes. ATK’s own method calls for a sharp chef’s knife. A long slicer just makes the breast slices cleaner, because you cut in one long stroke instead of sawing. If your chef’s knife is dull, sharpen it the weekend before; see how to keep a knife sharp.
Should I carve at the table?
Show the whole bird at the table if you like, then carve it in the kitchen. It’s faster, cleaner, and the food stays hot.
Do I need an electric carving knife?
No. Taking the breast off whole and slicing it flat is the part that makes the difference, and a sharp knife does that fine.
Take it apart first. Then slice.
Read next
- Thanksgiving cooking timeline: what to do when
- Turkey cooking time chart by weight
- Leftover turkey: how long it keeps and what to make
- Thanksgiving turkey tools a head chef would buy
Sources
- America’s Test Kitchen: How to Carve a Turkey
- America’s Test Kitchen: The Best Slicing Knives
- America’s Test Kitchen: The Best Large Plastic Cutting Boards
- America’s Test Kitchen: The Best Kitchen Tongs
- University of Tennessee Extension (developed by USDA FSIS): Take the Guesswork out of Roasting a Turkey
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